Hey guys! Want to make your Instagram profile pop? One of the best ways to do that is by creating eye-catching highlight covers. Let's dive into how you can use both videos and photos to create awesome Instagram highlight covers that will grab everyone's attention.

Why Instagram Highlight Covers Matter?

First impressions matter, and your Instagram highlights are prime real estate. Think of them as curated collections of your best content, neatly organized and easily accessible for anyone who visits your profile. But here’s the kicker: generic, unbranded highlight covers can make your profile look messy and unprofessional. Custom covers, on the other hand, can instantly elevate your brand, communicate your style, and encourage visitors to explore your content further.

Visual Appeal: Let's face it, we are visual creatures. A cohesive and visually appealing set of highlight covers makes your profile look polished and professional. Using high-quality photos or engaging videos ensures that your highlights stand out.

Brand Consistency: Using a consistent theme for your highlight covers reinforces your brand identity. Whether it's through color schemes, fonts, or imagery, consistency helps your audience recognize your brand instantly. This is super important for building brand loyalty and recognition.

Easy Navigation: Well-designed covers make it easier for your audience to navigate your highlights. Clear, descriptive icons or text on your covers help users quickly find the content they're looking for, improving their overall experience on your profile.

Storytelling: Each highlight can tell a part of your brand’s story. Using creative covers allows you to visually communicate the theme of each highlight, drawing viewers in and encouraging them to learn more about what you offer. Think of each cover as a mini-movie poster for the content inside!

Ultimately, investing time in creating stunning highlight covers is an investment in your brand. It's a simple yet effective way to make a lasting impression and keep your audience engaged. So, let’s get started and make your Instagram profile shine!

Using Photos for Instagram Highlight Covers

Alright, let's talk about using photos for your Instagram highlight covers. Photos are a fantastic way to create visually appealing and informative covers. Here's how to make the most of them:

Choosing the Right Photos: Selecting the right photos is crucial. You want images that are high-resolution, visually appealing, and relevant to the content inside the highlight. Here are some tips:

• High Resolution: Always use high-resolution images to avoid pixelation. Blurry covers look unprofessional and can turn people off.
• Relevance: The photo should be directly related to the content within the highlight. If the highlight is about travel, use a travel-related image.
• Brand Cohesion: Make sure the photo aligns with your brand's overall aesthetic. Use consistent color schemes, filters, and styles.

Creating Custom Graphics: You don't have to use straight photos. Creating custom graphics can make your highlight covers even more unique. Here’s how:

• Design Apps: Use apps like Canva, Adobe Spark, or Over to create custom graphics. These apps offer templates and tools specifically designed for Instagram highlight covers.
• Icons and Text: Incorporate icons and text into your graphics to clearly communicate the theme of the highlight. For example, a shopping cart icon for a shopping highlight.
• Consistent Design: Maintain a consistent design across all your covers. Use the same fonts, colors, and styles to create a cohesive look.

Editing Your Photos: A little bit of editing can go a long way in making your photos pop. Here are some quick editing tips:

• Filters: Use filters to create a consistent look across all your covers. Instagram's built-in filters or apps like VSCO can be great for this.
• Brightness and Contrast: Adjust the brightness and contrast to make your photos more visually appealing. Ensure your images are clear and easy to see.
• Color Correction: Correct the colors to ensure they are accurate and vibrant. This is especially important if you're using product photos.

Sizing and Formatting: Instagram highlight covers have a specific size and format. Make sure your photos are properly sized to avoid distortion. The ideal size is 1080x1920 pixels (the same as an Instagram Story).

Using photos for your highlight covers is a simple yet effective way to elevate your Instagram profile. By choosing the right photos, creating custom graphics, and properly editing and formatting your images, you can create visually stunning covers that attract and engage your audience.

Using Videos for Instagram Highlight Covers

Now, let's get into the exciting world of using videos for your Instagram highlight covers! Videos can add a dynamic and engaging element to your profile, making it stand out from the crowd. Here's how to use them effectively:

Why Use Videos? Videos capture attention more effectively than static images. A short, engaging video can instantly grab a viewer's interest and entice them to explore your highlights further.

Creating Short Video Clips: The key to using videos effectively is to keep them short and sweet. Aim for video clips that are just a few seconds long. Here’s how to create them:

• B-Roll Footage: Use interesting B-roll footage that relates to the content of the highlight. This could be behind-the-scenes clips, product demos, or scenic shots.
• Text Overlays: Add text overlays to your videos to clearly communicate the theme of the highlight. Use motion graphics to make the text more engaging.
• Brand Elements: Incorporate your brand's logo, colors, and fonts into your videos to maintain brand consistency.

Using Boomerangs and GIFs: Boomerangs and GIFs are fun and engaging alternatives to traditional videos. They're perfect for adding a playful touch to your highlight covers.

• Boomerangs: Create Boomerangs that capture a fun moment or highlight a key product feature.
• GIFs: Use GIFs that are relevant to the theme of the highlight. You can find GIFs on platforms like GIPHY or create your own using apps like Giphy Cam.

Editing Your Videos: Just like with photos, editing is crucial for videos. Here are some tips:

• Trimming: Trim your videos to keep them short and to the point. Remove any unnecessary footage.
• Filters and Effects: Use filters and effects to enhance the visual appeal of your videos. Apps like InShot and CapCut offer a wide range of editing tools.
• Music and Sound Effects: Add music or sound effects to make your videos more engaging. Make sure the audio is appropriate for your brand and audience.

Sizing and Formatting for Videos: Just like with photos, make sure your videos are properly sized and formatted for Instagram highlight covers. The ideal size is 1080x1920 pixels.

Using videos for your Instagram highlight covers can add a dynamic and engaging element to your profile. By creating short, engaging video clips, using Boomerangs and GIFs, and properly editing and formatting your videos, you can create stunning covers that capture attention and entice viewers to explore your content.

Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Your Instagram Highlight Cover

Okay, so you've got your awesome photo or video ready to go. Now, let's walk through the steps to actually change your Instagram highlight cover. It's super easy, I promise!

Step 1: Open Instagram and Go to Your Profile

First things first, fire up your Instagram app and head over to your profile. You know, that little icon at the bottom right that looks like a person or your profile pic?

Step 2: Select the Highlight You Want to Edit

Once you're on your profile, you'll see your highlights right below your bio. Tap on the highlight you want to change the cover for.

Step 3: Tap "More"

After you've opened the highlight, look for the "More" option at the bottom right corner of your screen. It might appear as three dots (...). Tap on that.

Step 4: Select "Edit Highlight"

A menu will pop up. Choose the "Edit Highlight" option. This will take you to the editing screen where you can tweak all sorts of things about your highlight.

Step 5: Tap "Edit Cover"

Now, look for the "Edit Cover" option. It's usually located at the top of the screen, and it'll show you the current cover image. Tap on that to change it.

Step 6: Choose Your New Cover

Here's where the magic happens! You'll see a grid of images and videos from the highlight itself. But if you want to use a custom photo or video from your camera roll, look for the little image icon at the bottom left. Tap that, and it'll open up your phone's gallery.

Step 7: Adjust and Position Your Cover

Once you've selected your new cover image or video, you can adjust its position within the circle. Pinch to zoom in or out, and drag to center it just right. Make sure it looks perfect!

Step 8: Tap "Done"

Happy with how it looks? Great! Tap "Done" in the top right corner. This will save your changes.

Step 9: Tap "Done" Again

You'll be taken back to the "Edit Highlight" screen. Tap "Done" again in the top right corner to save all the changes to your highlight.

Step 10: Admire Your New Cover

That's it! Head back to your profile and admire your brand-new, eye-catching highlight cover. Doesn't it look awesome?

See? I told you it was easy! Now you can keep your Instagram highlights looking fresh and engaging with custom covers that perfectly represent your brand.

Tips for Creating Engaging Highlight Covers

Want to take your Instagram highlight covers to the next level? Here are some tips to create covers that are not only visually appealing but also highly engaging:

Use a Consistent Theme: Consistency is key when it comes to branding. Use a consistent color scheme, font, and style across all your highlight covers to create a cohesive look. This will make your profile look more professional and help people easily recognize your brand.

Keep It Simple: Don't overcomplicate your highlight covers. Use simple, clean designs that are easy to understand at a glance. Avoid using too much text or too many elements, as this can make your covers look cluttered and confusing.

Use High-Quality Visuals: Always use high-quality photos and videos for your highlight covers. Blurry or pixelated visuals can make your profile look unprofessional and turn people off. Invest in good-quality visuals to make your covers stand out.

Incorporate Movement: If you're using videos for your highlight covers, incorporate movement to capture attention. Use short, engaging video clips, Boomerangs, or GIFs to make your covers more dynamic and visually appealing.

Use Text and Icons: Use text and icons to clearly communicate the theme of each highlight. This will make it easier for people to find the content they're looking for and encourage them to explore your highlights further.

Reflect Your Brand: Your highlight covers should reflect your brand's personality and values. Use visuals that align with your brand's aesthetic and messaging to create a consistent brand experience.

Stay Updated: Keep your highlight covers updated with fresh content to keep your profile looking current and engaging. Regularly review and update your covers to ensure they are still relevant and appealing.

Test and Optimize: Experiment with different designs and formats to see what works best for your audience. Track your engagement metrics to see which covers are performing well and optimize accordingly.

Examples of Great Instagram Highlight Covers

Need some inspiration? Let's take a look at some examples of great Instagram highlight covers that really nail it:

Lifestyle Blogger: A lifestyle blogger might use photos of their travels, outfits, and favorite products for their highlight covers. They could use a consistent filter and color scheme to create a cohesive look.

Food Blogger: A food blogger could use mouth-watering photos of their recipes and restaurant reviews for their highlight covers. They might use icons like a fork and knife or a chef's hat to indicate the theme of each highlight.

Fashion Brand: A fashion brand could use stylish photos of their latest collections and behind-the-scenes content for their highlight covers. They might use a minimalist design with clean lines and a consistent color palette.

Travel Agency: A travel agency could use stunning photos of different destinations and travel experiences for their highlight covers. They might use icons like a plane or a suitcase to indicate the theme of each highlight.

Fitness Influencer: A fitness influencer could use motivational photos of their workouts and healthy meals for their highlight covers. They might use icons like a dumbbell or a heart to indicate the theme of each highlight.

These are just a few examples, but the possibilities are endless. Get creative and experiment with different designs and formats to see what works best for your brand.

Conclusion

So there you have it! Creating stunning Instagram highlight covers with photos and videos is totally achievable. By following these tips and tricks, you can elevate your Instagram profile, attract more followers, and create a lasting impression. So go ahead, get creative, and make your Instagram highlights shine!